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2016 Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #129944793-94 points
James Suckling

Tight and chewy yet polished and beautiful. Medium to full body, a pretty core of fruit within the center palate and a flavorful finish. Better than 2015 and on the same level as the excellent 2014.
(4/2017)

92-94 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2016 Sociando-Mallet has a refulgent purple/black color. It has a very intense and rich, you might say "ambitious" bouquet with layers of small black cherries, blueberry and a touch of sloes, less tertiary than previous vintages and certainly more opulent. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin that almost disguise the firm structure underneath. I admire the completeness of this Sociando-Mallet, the neatly embroidered new oak and the freshness on the finish. The 2015 Sociando-Mallet did not fire on all cylinders last year, but this 2016 is totally convincing. It comes highly recommended as one of the best wines produced at this estate in the northern Médoc. This is an outstanding wine from Mon. Gartreau. (NM)
(4/2017)

92 points
Decanter

Inky black in colour, with a beautiful graphite and black fruit nose. This is undoubtedly a great Sociando this year, with precise yet juicy graphite and black fruits on the palate, from a fairly even blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc too. (JA)
(4/2017)

88-91 points
Vinous

* 2016 Bordeaux Top Values* The 2016 Sociando Mallet is endowed with remarkable density and pure power, but it will be a number of years before the 2016 is ready to show all it’s got. Today, the wine's sheer luxuriousness is remarkable. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and leather are all pushed forward. This is an especially concentrated, powerful vintage for Sociando, perhaps too much, but the wine's exotic beauty is, in my view, irresistible. Tasted two times. (AG)
(4/2017)

Product Reviews:

This wine is exceptional and I have a soft spot in my heart for Sociando as it was the first Chateau in Bordeaux I ever visited in 1985. This 2016 is far better than the 1984 we tasted on that cool April day in 85. This one has an intense blackberry aroma. Very full-bodies and powerfully built for the cellar-yet there is a lot of sweet fruit on the mid palate and at the end.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking.
A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. Click for a list of bestselling items from all of France.